The Black man who infamously wielded a folding chair during the viral Alabama boat brawl is set to avoid jail time.
Reggie Ray, 42, was charged with disorderly conduct in connection to the massive brawl that broke out on August 5 at the Montgomery Riverfront Park. On Monday (December 11), Ray entered a conditional guilty plea and was given 50 hours of community service and a 90-day suspended sentence, according to court documents obtained by TMZ.
Ray was widely regarded as a hero after using a folding chair to fight back against white assailants who attacked riverboat co-captain Damien Pickett on the dock at the riverfront park.
Videos captured the moment when the group of white men attacked Pickett, who had instructed a parked pontoon to move from the dock to make room for a riverboat to offload its passengers. At one point in the videos, Pickett can be seen on the ground as he’s being struck by the group.
Several bystanders intervened to defend the co-captain, including Ray, who wielded the infamous folding chair. After video of the brawl went viral, the folding chair became known as a symbol of unity among Black social media users.
Arrest warrants were initially issued for three white men — 48-year-old Richard Roberts, 23-year-old Allen Todd, and 25-year-old Zachary Shipman — all of whom came from the private pontoon boat. Mary Todd and Ray were later charged in connection to the incident.
As long as Ray completes his community service, he won’t face jail time.
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